Stainless Steels are iron-based alloys, with around 12% minimum Cr content to prevent
rust formation. Stainless Steels are used in a variety of applications - particularly
throughout chemical and power engineering, food and beverage industries, transport
and architecture. Stainless Steels are often classified by micro-structure and are
generally known as Austenitic, Ferritic, Martensitic or Duplex. A fifth member of the family
is Precipitation-Hardened or PH Stainless Steels, defined by the type of heat treatment
used, as opposed to microstructure.

Fabricast's stockholding and processing covers a wide range of sections; plate, sheet,
strip and bar, tube and fittings and are generally available in the following materials:-

Austenitic Stainless Steels (BS970/EN 1088-3)

This is the largest and most commonly-used family member, offering good formability,
excellent corrosion resistance and increased strength when cold worked. Indeed this
material can be hardened by cold working, but not by heat treatment and although non-
magnetic in its annealed condition, cold working may cause it to be slightly magnetic.

Austenitic Stainless Steels can be divided into two standard grades (covered by AIS
Series 200 & 300) and non-standard grades (including modified versions of the 200
& 300 series, together with higher alloyed Austenitics, Superaustenitic and Valve Steels).

300 SERIES covering the largest category of Stainless Steels are chromium-nickel based
(18%Cr - 8%Ni). The basic formula is modified to improve corrosion resistance.

These include:-

The addition of molybdenum - to improve pitting/crevice corrosion resistance

The reduction in carbon content - to reduce intergranular corrosion in welded materials

The addition of nickel & chromium - to improve strength and high temperature

oxidisation resistance

The addition of nickel - to improve stress-corrosion cracking resistance

200 SERIES frequently termed as the low-nickel equivalents of 301 & 302, such alloys
were popular in the 1950's due to the short supply of nickel.
Fabricast maintains large stocks of the 300 Series alloys. Material is available in many forms,
sections and extrusions with full cut to size facilities including billeting, profiling and forming.

Ferritic Stainless Steels (BS970/EN 10088-3)

Ferritic Stainless Steels 430S17 (EN1.4016) are iron-chromium alloys with body-centred
cubic (BCC) structure. Chromium content is usually 11% to 30% and some grades contain
aluminium, nickel, niobium, molybdenum and titanium, with selenium and sulphur also
added for machinability. Ferritic alloys are ferromagnetic.
They have good ductile and formable characteristics. High temperature strengths are not
as good as Austenitic Steels. Limited low-temperature and heavy-section toughness.
Ferritics cannot be strengthened with heat treatment and not often by cold working as
ferrite strain-hardening rates lower ductile character.

Available in:-Standard 400 series and modified alloy versions.
These generally contain 11 - 27% chromium, 0.08 - 20% carbon and small amounts of
ferrite stabilisers such as aluminium, niobium and titanium.

Low-Interstitial Content (low carbon/nitrogen) grades containing up to 30% chromium,
up to 4% molybdenum and up to 2% nickel. Referred to as Superferritics due to excellent
stress/corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance.

Martensitic Stainless Steels (BS970/EN 10088-3)

Martensitic Stainless Steels 410S21 (EN1.4006), 416S21 (EN.4005) 431S29 (EN1.4507)
are similar composition to Ferritics, but higher carbon/lower chromium permits hardening
by heat treatment. Broadly Fe-Cr-C alloys with body-centred tetragonal (bct) crystal structure.
They are ferro-magnetic and resist corrosion only in mild environments.
Martensitics are similar to plain carbon or low-alloy austenitised steels that are hardened by
quenching and tempered for ductility and toughness. This alloy has a chromium content in
a 10.5% to 18% range and carbon content which can exceed 1.2%.
The chromium and carbon content balance ensures martensitic structure. Niobium, silicon,
tungsten and vanadium additions modify tempering effects after hardening. Improved anti-
corrosion and toughness is achieved with nickel and molybdenum additions; limited to
smaller amounts to ensure martensitic microstructure. Machinability is improved by sulphur
and selenium additions. Ideal for applications where good tensile, creep, fatigue strength,
moderate anti-corrosion and heat resistance to 650ºc (1200ºF) are required.

Martensitic Stainless Steels are available in:-Standard 400 series, containing 10.5 - 18% chromium, up to 1.20% carbon and
small amounts of manganese and nickel

Non-standard grades including free-machining and heat-resistant grades as well
as those for gears and bearings

Duplex Stainless Steels

Duplex Stainless Steels are two-phase iron-chromium-nickel system alloys, having
approximately the same amount of face-centred cubic (fcc) austenite and body-centred
cubic (bcc) ferrite, with 20 - 30% chromium, 4 - 8% nickel, characterised by their low
carbon content, with molybdenum, nitrogen, copper and tungsten additions. Some of
the higher alloy, more anti-corrosive grades are termed Superduplex Stainless Steels.

Most are referred to by UNS number, or their alloy contents, (eg, 2507 is an
alloy of 25% chromium and 7% nickel).

A copper tin based alloy offering strength and hardness for many engineering applications.
Fabricast maintains large stocks of alloys within the Phosphor Bronze, Aluminium Bronze
and popular SAE660 ranges.

Material is available in many forms and includes:-

Phosphor Bronze (BS1400 BSEN1982) Continuous Cast Bar

PB1 (CC481K)

High tin alloy used in load bearing applications where strength is generally required.
Can be used for bearings, gear wheels, springs and general engineering mechanical
requirements

PB2 (CC483K)

Higher tin content than PB1 improving wear resistance. Used for gears and general
bearings where rigidity is required

LG2 (CC491K)

Lead based alloy offering a combination of corrosion resistance and moderate strength
with good machinability. Applications include valves, pumps, bearings and marine
based products

SAE660 (ASTM B271 1996A C93200)

Medium hard material with reasonable high abrasion resistance and moderate emergency
running properties. Suitable for normally stressed sliding bearing bushes and brasses
when shafts of general structural steels as well as surface hardened steel are used.
Employed for certain locomotive axle bearing bushes, coupling rod bearings and sliding
bearing bushes for general machine construction. Resistant to seawater. Fabricast stocks
an extensive range of SAE660 sizes in both cored and solid bar form, with a cut to size
facility. Please contact our sales team for a full stock sheet.

Aluminium Bronze Rounds, Sections and Plates

Copper based alloy with added Aluminium providing excellent corrosion resistance with
high strength and offering good weldability. Used for valve and pump components, tube
plates and marine condensers.

Naval Brass

Additional tin content improves corrosion resistance, especially in seawater and similar
marine conditions. Offering less machinability than the common brasses, this material
is ideally suited to marine and heavy duty based applications. Fabricast stocks several
sections, readily available in:-

Other sections are also available on request.
For further details on this range and stock availability please contact Fabricast Technical Support.

High Tensile Brass (Manganese Brass/Bronze)

Also known as “Manganese Brass or Bronze” this provides significantly higher strength
than the standard family of brasses. Resistance to corrosion is further increased owing
to the addition of aluminium. These properties provide ideal solutions to heavy-duty
applications.

High Tensile Brass is available in the following sections:-HTB (BS2874 CZ114) BSEN12163/4/7 CW721R Extruded Round Bar

Commonly referred to as pure copper, this material is used in a variety
of commercial applications and is sometimes specified as 99.9% pure. Whilst the
strength of copper is low by comparison to other materials, it can be significantly
enhanced by work hardening. The versatility of copper lends itself to a wide range
of applications, from electrical conductivity to decorative, architectural, general
engineering and welding applications. Fabricast maintains a good selection of
copper materials in many forms, including:-

Copper C101 (Electrolytic, high conductivity)

Used for conductors and fabricated electrical components. Fabricast offers the following:-

Aluminium has; high strength to weight ratio, formability, corrosion resistance, good conductivity of heat and electricity, flame will not surface-spread across mill or anodised aluminium, is recyclable.
Fabricast stocks Aluminium in a variety of forms:-

Mild Steel

Fabricast Multi-Metals wide range of stocks includes Cast Iron in the following forms;-

Square

Rod

Rectangle

All to BS1452 - in various categories and grades.

Cast Iron - Fabricast offers a unique cast iron sourcing service from pattern making
to finished product, with the option of a sand cast finish, through to proofed or fully
machined components in a variety of alloys to meet the most demanding specifications.